Some films have a big budget and a crummy story; others have a small budget but a decent story, and that's the case here. The father (Joe Sr.) has just been released from prison, where he has been serving a three-year sentence for robbery, a crime he committed only out of desperation. He is determined to go straight. His son Joey (or Joe Jr.) has been abandoned by his mom and has been in an orphanage for three years. When dad gets released from prison, son runs away from the orphanage to meet up with him and try to make a new life together. They walk, hitch-hike and even ride a freight car along the way. There are ups and downs but they make it to Texas and at last Joe Sr. has a decent job. He gets an apartment for the two of them, and even Joey is working, mowing lawns for the landlord. It looks like things are really working out for them, until dad's past catches up with him. He gets fired for lying about his prison record, then he can't get hired anyplace else when he does tell the truth. Out of desperation he cooks up a kidnapping with a couple of other characters. At the end of the story he is killed while his son Joey looks on. Trying to console Joey, the police tell him that his father died a hero because he saved the kidnap victim from being killed by the other kidnappers.
This was indeed a low-budget film but it really didn't call for a large budget. The story drove home the bond between father and son. Was it a little 'mushy' in places? Maybe, but I didn't mind. On Joe Sr.'s birthday he loses his job and drowns his sorrows at a bar, then comes home to find Joey fallen asleep waiting for him to get him from work, with a birthday present and cake for him. The boy either doesn't notice or pretends not to notice that his dad is drunk and they have their little party anyhow. Together, they were 'Big Joe - Little Joe', no matter what. All this makes the ending credible when the father gets shot and the son is so distraught.
Billy Hughes Jr. stole this movie. It was one of his first roles, and only his second movie, but he had a real gift for acting. The shame is that truly talented kids such as Hughes are forgotten while many modern-day kid actors nowhere near as good become wealthy and famous for much less worthy performances. In the ending scene when Joe Sr. has been killed, Billy Hughes Jr. became so involved in the crying scene during the filming that Bing Russell (who played Joe Sr.) had to slap his face to get him to come out of it. Sadly, Hughes' acting career was cut short when he had to leave Hollywood several years later, supposedly for family reasons. He did make dozens of appearances between film and TV and they are worth seeing.
It's too bad that some older films like this are almost never shown on TV (though I believe Turner may have this one in their library). Yes, it's only black and white, and no, there's no sex or vulgar language or big-name stars, but there is a good story and engaging performances. If you can stand to watch a movie that has 'only' those things going for it, you might enjoy this movie.
This was indeed a low-budget film but it really didn't call for a large budget. The story drove home the bond between father and son. Was it a little 'mushy' in places? Maybe, but I didn't mind. On Joe Sr.'s birthday he loses his job and drowns his sorrows at a bar, then comes home to find Joey fallen asleep waiting for him to get him from work, with a birthday present and cake for him. The boy either doesn't notice or pretends not to notice that his dad is drunk and they have their little party anyhow. Together, they were 'Big Joe - Little Joe', no matter what. All this makes the ending credible when the father gets shot and the son is so distraught.
Billy Hughes Jr. stole this movie. It was one of his first roles, and only his second movie, but he had a real gift for acting. The shame is that truly talented kids such as Hughes are forgotten while many modern-day kid actors nowhere near as good become wealthy and famous for much less worthy performances. In the ending scene when Joe Sr. has been killed, Billy Hughes Jr. became so involved in the crying scene during the filming that Bing Russell (who played Joe Sr.) had to slap his face to get him to come out of it. Sadly, Hughes' acting career was cut short when he had to leave Hollywood several years later, supposedly for family reasons. He did make dozens of appearances between film and TV and they are worth seeing.
It's too bad that some older films like this are almost never shown on TV (though I believe Turner may have this one in their library). Yes, it's only black and white, and no, there's no sex or vulgar language or big-name stars, but there is a good story and engaging performances. If you can stand to watch a movie that has 'only' those things going for it, you might enjoy this movie.
